The Controller's Guide to Planning and Controlling Operations is a comprehensive guide for controllers, CFOs, and budget managers who need to determine: The soundness of sales forecastsThe best approach for setting product pricesThe profitability of customers and market segmentsFederal tax remittance rulesThe impact of a just-in-time system on inventory levels

Packed with clear and realistic strategies, it helps create a coherent framework of financial plans that apply to the full breadth of ongoing corporate control systems, as well as illustrates: When to use labor and materials standards to control manufacturingHow to control research and development costsHow to grant appropriate credit levels to customersHow to set up an effective capital budgeting processHow to create a cost-of-capital calculation

Never out of print since 1997, and substantially updated for this second edition, "The Operational Auditing Handbook" has earned an international reputation as a hands-on, practical manual for internal auditors and managers to enable them to carry out audits and reviews of a wide range of business activities including:

Finance and accountingSarbanes-Oxley compliancePurchasingOperations and productionMarketing and salesDistributionPersonnel and management developmentResearch and developmentInformation technologySecurityEnvironmental responsibilitySubsidiaries and remote operating units

"The Operational Auditing Handbook" clarifies the underlying issues, risks and objectives for a wide range of operations and activities and is a professional companion, with many checklists, for those who design self-assessment and audit programmes of business processes in all sectors. Reflecting the strategic importance of information technology today, this second edition is considerably expanded in this area with leading edge material. Other completely new material includes clear, authoritative guidance on how to achieve effective of governance, risk management and internal control processes.

Volume 4 in this research series contains nine papers. Following the tradition of the earlier volumes, it is similar in style to the first three volumes and illustrates ongoing research thrusts on a variety of financial economics issues that are germane to working capital management. The papers have been logically divided into three parts.

The first part of the volume focuses on the issues covering short-term interest rates, short-term financial management, and a cash balance model. Part two contains papers that examine the issue of trade credit analysis under a competitive pricing situation and an environment in which the level of sales fluctuates. Finally Part 3 departs from the traditional discussions on working capital management in that it explores dividend payouts and tax environment changes as a source of concern to treasury (and financial) managers.

This fourth volume presents a rich variety of papers that address an expanding facet of working capital management. It is hoped that the papers are found to be informative and act to stimulate research and practice in the area of treasury/financial management.

Advances in Management Accounting (AIMA) publishes well-developed articles on a variety of current topics in management accounting that are relevant to both practitioners and academicians. As a respected professional journal, AIMA is well poised to meet their information needs. Featured in volume 10 is an article reporting on the findings of an in-depth field study at Bell Atlantic, now Verizon. The impact of teaming on productivity, quality, and employee satisfaction was measured using research design methods not commonly found in field study research. Another article reports field research describing how two firms used accounting in new product development and proposes a conceptual framework hypothesizing how management accountants' participation can enhance the firm's performance. The remaining nine articles deal with a variety of topics such as the frequency and perceived usefulness of strategic management accounting, the relationship between a product's revenue and cost functions and much more. The eleven articles represent relevant, theoretically sound, and practical studies the discipline can greatly benefit from, providing a high level of contributions to management accounting research and practice. Accountants at all levels who work in corporations and not-for-profit organizations will be interested. Contents

In the new economy where value drivers are shifting from tangible to intangibles resources, brands are the most familiar asset. They are well known by consumers, perceived as a critical component of enterprise value and often motivate large mergers and acquisitions. Yet, brands are a complex intangible asset, and their valuation is a difficult task requiring a variety of expertise: legal, economic, financial, sector-specific and marketing. Using rigorous methodologies, an analysis of the world of the new economy and an inquiry into the limits of modern valuation technics, this book offers empirical and theoretical background to the key issue of brand valuation. It provides answers to the many questions that arise when attempting to value a brand: How to understand the origin of brand value? How to assess its value objectively? Why valuations of some brands by consulting firms differ so widely? How to understand that some brands are valued millions of euros when the companies that own them are losing money? Brand Valuation explains the economics and finance factors explaining the value and volatility of brands and presents the most commonly used methodologies to value brands such as the cost methods, the excess earnings approach, the relief-from-royalty method or the excess revenue approach. The methodologies covered are illustrated with numerous examples allowing the reader to grasp the advantages and limits of each valuation techniques. The book presents the relevant context of brand valuation including the applicable existing accounting and valuation standards and also discusses the models developed by consulting firms.

Target risk in your organization

Risk management is now a part of mainstream corporate life that touches all aspects of every type of organization. Auditors must now focus firmly on risk: risk to the business, risk to the executives, and risk to the stakeholders. Auditing the Risk Management Process incorporates all the latest developments in risk management as it applies to auditors, including the new The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) enterprise risk paper.

Auditing the Risk Management Process includes: Original risk maps and process models developed by the author, explaining where and how topics fit within an overall audit framework All the latest developments in risk management as it applies to auditors Insight into how enterprise risk management affects the responsibilities of both internal and external auditors

Learn to navigate the risks your corporation faces today, and tomorrow, with the able guidance found in Auditing the Risk Management Process.

To date, there has been little consideration of the many different ways in which accounting and risk intersect, despite organisations being more determined than ever to build resilience against potential risks. This comprehensive volume overcomes this gap by providing an overview of the field, drawing together current knowledge of risk in a wide range of different accounting contexts. Key themes such as corporate governance, trust, uncertainty and climate change are covered by a global array of contributing scholars. These contributions are divided into four areas: The broader aspects of risk and risk management Risk in financial reporting Risk in management accounting Risk monitoring The book is supported by a series of illustrative case studies which help to bring together theory and practice. With its wealth of examples and analyses, this volume provides essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners charged with understanding diverse facets of risk in the context of accounting in the business world.

This volume covers such topics as prior evidence on corporate annual reports, research methodology and the demographics of the corporate shareholder, investors' investment objectives and their information sources, and the readership and usefulness of corporate financial statements.

The Advanced Health and Welfare Plans Audit Certificate exam tests your ability to plan, perform and evaluate health and welfare plans, in accordance with AICPA standards and DOL rules and regulations. This exam is offered in a timed online format and consists of 75 multiple choice questions. In order to successfully pass the examination, you must be able to evaluate and analyze the core concepts related to client acceptance, engagement planning, engagement analysis, concluding an engagement and guiding principles for health and welfare plan audits. Some of the topics that will be tested on the exam include: Planning and General Procedures Internal Control Net Assets Available for Benefits Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits Benefit Obligations and Changes in Benefit Obligations Plan Tax Status Financial Statement Presentation, Disclosure & Regulatory Reporting Audit Reports & Concluding the Audit Online Access Instructions A personal pin code is enclosed in the physical packaging that may be activated online upon receipt. Once activated, you will gain immediate online access to the product. Your Certificate and Digital Badge After passing the exam, you will be awarded with a certificate in the form of a digital badge. Digital badges allow you to distinguish yourself in the marketplace and show your commitment to quality. The badge can be posted to your social media profiles and linked to your resume or email signature, providing maximum visibility to your achievement. You will receive your official score and certificate or retake information 5 business days after completing the exam. Important note: Your exam purchase entitles you to one exam and one re-take if you do not pass the exam. Prior to using your re-take, the AICPA recommends you study any topics identified in your initial exam results. If you do not pass either the initial exam or the re-take, you must purchase the exam again, in order to take it again. Exams passed outside of these purchase and re-take rules will not result in the issuing of a digital badge. If you have any questions regarding the completion of your exam or re-take, please contact [email protected] to verify your results. By making this purchase, you must understand and agree that the AICPA has the absolute and unrestricted right to revoke or suspend any rights to use the digital badge image, or any representation thereof, if you are (a) convicted of any crime punishable by more than one year in prison or for any crime related to dishonesty, or (b) disciplined by any governmental or non-governmental authority that regulates, or enforces a code of conduct related to, your professional activities, including but not limited to, a state board of accountancy, AICPA, IRS, SEC, or PCAOB, or (c) a peer reviewer restricted from performing peer reviews by the Peer Review Program. System Requirements AICPA's online CPE courses will operate in a variety of configurations, but only the configuration described below is supported by AICPA technicians. A stable and continuous internet connection is required. In order to record your completion of the online learning courses, please ensure you are connected to the internet at all times while taking the course. It is your responsibility to validate that CPE certificate(s) are available within your account after successfully completing the course and/or exam. Supported Operating Systems: Macintosh OS X 10.10 to present Windows 7 to present Supported Browsers: Apple Safari Google Chrome Microsoft Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Required Browser Plug-ins: Adobe Flash Adobe Acrobat Reader Technical Support: Please contact [email protected].

This second volume in the series discusses such topics as management accounting's role in improving corporate performance, strategic cost management perspectives and accountability and knowledge workers.

Step-by-step guide to successful implementation and control of IT systems including the Cloud Many auditors are unfamiliar with the techniques they need to know to efficiently and effectively determine whether information systems are adequately protected. Now in a Second Edition, Auditor's Guide to IT Auditing presents an easy, practical guide for auditors that can be applied to all computing environments. * Follows the approach used by the Information System Audit and Control Association's model curriculum, making this book a practical approach to IS auditing * Serves as an excellent study guide for those preparing for the CISA and CISM exams * Includes discussion of risk evaluation methodologies, new regulations, SOX, privacy, banking, IT governance, CobiT, outsourcing, network management, and the Cloud * Includes a link to an education version of IDEA--Data Analysis Software As networks and enterprise resource planning systems bring resources together, and as increasing privacy violations threaten more organization, information systems integrity becomes more important than ever. Auditor's Guide to IT Auditing, Second Edition empowers auditors to effectively gauge the adequacy and effectiveness of information systems controls.

Called to Account traces the evolution of the global public accounting profession through a series of scandals leading to voluntary or mandated reforms. Ever entertaining and educational, the book describes 16 of the most audacious accounting frauds of the last 80 years, and identifies the accounting standards and legislation adopted as a direct consequence of each scandal. This third edition offers expanded coverage of the Global Financial Crisis and international auditing. While retaining favorite chapters exposing the schemes of "Crazy Eddie" Antar, "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap, and Barry "the Boy Wonder" Minkow, new chapters describe the accounting problems at Lehman Brothers, Colonial Bank, and Olympus. Students will learn that financial fraud is a global problem, and that accounting reform is heavily influenced by politics. With discussion questions and a chart mapping each chapter to topics covered in popular auditing textbooks, Called to Account is the ideal companion for classes in auditing, fraud examination, advanced accounting, or professional responsibilities.

Focusing on auditing as a judgment process, this unique textbook helps readers strike the balance between understanding auditing theory and how an audit plays out in reality. The only textbook to provide complete coverage of both the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Auditing reflects the contemporary evolution of the audit process. New additions to the book include expert updates on key topics, such as the audit of accounting estimates, group audit, and the Integrated Audit. Supplemented by extra on-line resources, students using this established text will be well-equipped to be effective auditors and to understand the role of auditing in the business world.

The advanced tools accountants need to build automated, reliable, and scalable reports using Excel Learn about the functions that work together to automate many of the processes involved in Management Reporting. See how to take advantage of the many new features of Excel 2007 and 2010. Find out how to build validation structures into your spreadsheet reports. Discover how to identify missing or new codes, either in the creation process or in the day-to-day running of the reports. Do it all with Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. * Explore the structures that simplify the report creation process and make the reports more maintainable * Learn techniques to "cleanse" data so that it is ready for use in Pivot Tables and formula-based reports * Find out the tips and tricks that can make the creation process quicker and easier * Discover all you need to know about Excel's summing functions and how versatile they can be Written in a hands-on style that works towards the completion of two reporting case studies, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants explains and demonstrates techniques so that Management Accountants can learn how to automate many aspects of the reporting process.

Running public sector organizations requires specialist accounting and finance skills to overcome the unique challenges of the sector. Citizens rely on their governments to provide a wide range of public services from an inevitably limited budget and therefore the better that the public money is managed the more services that can be delivered. Just as there is no single best way to manage a business there is no single best way to manage public finances. Co-published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the world's leading professional public finance accountancy body, International Public Financial Management: Essentials of Public Sector Accounting provides an expert introduction to public sector accounting and finance. This book was conceived to accompany CIPFA's International Public Financial Management (IPFM) qualifications as a resource for students that seeks to capture the essential elements of the modules they study, and reflects good practice as put forward by CIPFA in its examination syllabuses. Students of public management and public sector accounting will find this a useful text. Practitioners working in the public sector will also find this concise book vital reading in seeking value for money in providing public services.

Accounting skills are increasingly important in many walks of life. In education, these skills are becoming vital beyond business, accounting and economics students; in work, accounting is no longer an outsourced specialism across all sectors. This concise book provides readers with a primer on accounting which focuses on its uses for managers. Beginning with the basics of financial accounting, the main part of the book focuses on the more applicable role and use of management accounting. Topics covered include budgeting, break-even analysis, performance measurement, and investment appraisal. Features to aid understanding include worked activities; discussion points and numerical example with answers. With additional online resources for further study, this unique and focused text will be welcomed by all those looking to develop an employable competency in accounting and finance.